Dam on Narmada : HC seeks governement's reply in 3 weeks

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Updated: Jul 16, 2013 12:14 IST

The Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday sought a reply within three weeks from the state government on its alleged construction work of a dam on Narmada river at Ranatola Dindori without land acquisition.

The Upper Narmada Pariyojna Bandh Prabhavit Krishak Sangh Morcha had moved an application informing the HC that the state was initiating construction of the dam despite the panchayats of affected villages have resolved against the move as per norms.

As many 50,000 villagers will be displaced on construction of the dam under Upper Narmada Project.

The backwaters of the dam will submerge land of 27 villages in Dindori and Anuppur districts.

The villages which are likely to be affected have 2,437 hectares private land and 514 hectares government land, which is yet to be acquired for the Upper Narmada project, the petitioner’s counsel Rajesh Chand said.

The government issued tenders for construction of the dam without land acquisition and no land is demarcated for rehabilitating the affected families of the villages.

The HC had earlier issued notices on the PIL to the state government and other respondents, but in July last machines and other equipment were seen at the proposed construction site.